The Way I Am
by Trizzy
Summary: [Friday Night Lights] Yes we all know how much Billingsley likes to drink. And we know he's not that great at football. But are there any good reasons for why he is the way he is? This a tentative story, so let me know what you think.
1. Chapter 1

_Well, this is my attempt at a Billingsley story. I know it starts off as sort of a...romance I guess? But it's actually going to deal more with Don's past and why he has the relationship he does with his father. Kind of a look at his past. Just because I think that will be more of a challange than anything else I could write for Don Billingsley. So let me know what you think, good or bad._

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CHAPTER ONE

_Don lay on his back in the cool grass of his backyard. With his arms positioned over his head, he stared up at the sky and watched the clouds. He chuckled when a cloud shaped like a penis floated by. Before he could turn to make a smart-ass remark to his companion, she punched him in the side. She returned to cloud gazing, smiling peacefully as she observed the sky through heavy lidded eyes. A warm summer breeze swirled around their lazy bodies, hugging them with tepid comfort. Once the breeze had passed them, Don rolled onto his side and looked at his friend._

_"What do you want to do in high school Josie?" he asked softly, picking at the grass in front of him._

_She shrugged, still staring at clouds. "I don't know Donnie. Maybe I'll be a cheerleader."_

_"You're better than cheerleading Jos and you know it," he sighed._

_"Am I? I'm only fourteen. Maybe I'm the best cheerleader in Odessa," she mused. "But chances are I'll just…go through the motions until I know what I want to do."_

_"You should…you should be a counsellor. For drunk people," he suggested. "You've always been good at talking my dad down."_

_"That's because I know your dad Donnie. I know his triggers and I know what calms him when he's so…wound up," she explained._

_"Just say drunk Josie. I know what people say about him. You don't have to tip toe around it just because I'm here," he mumbled._

_"I'm not. I don't like thinking of him that way. I prefer to remember his sober days, when he actually WAS wound up and not stumblin' drunk," she stated, rolling onto her side to face him. "I know it's hard for you, but don't give up on him Don."_

_"Easy for you to say Jo. He's not your dad," he sighed, returning to his back._

_She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. "He may as well be."_

_Don sat up then, turning her to face him. "Josie, no one judges you for what your dad did. You were too young to understand."_

_"I have to go Donnie. Mom wants me home before dinner so we can go school shopping," she announced, rising up and brushing stray grass from her pants. "I'll see you later."_

_Don sighed as he watched her jog toward her bike. He followed her retreating form with his gaze, running a hand through his hair. Not ready to go inside and spend time with the passed out man that was his father, he decided to go for a walk He let his feet lead the way, his mind to preoccupied with thoughts of high school. It was inevitable, playing football for all four years. That's the way things went when your father was a local football legend. But the more he thought about it, the less he wanted to play, because he knew that he would never be able to please his father unless he won a state championship. The more Don thought about football, the angrier he became. As he made his way down the long dusty road, kicking at pebbles and dirt, he decided that he had to play football. But he didn't necessarily have to be good at it. A shout tore through the silence of his thoughts as he smiled with childish glee._

"Billingsley! Yo! Billingsley! Wake the fuck up man!"

His blue eyes burned with fatigue as they slowly obeyed the command of the voice. Through blurry, hung-over vision, he saw Chavo standing over him. Don groaned and sat up, clutching his pounding forehead. He became suddenly aware of his cottonmouth and began to fumble around stupidly, looking for any kind of liquid to soothe the sand-dry feeling in the back of his throat. Chavo looked up at the two others with him and shook his head. They had all celebrated their first victory of the season, but Don took it too far, as usual. It was becoming routine for the three; find Don after a victory party and cure his hangover so that he would be able to function in practice. It was rapidly getting old for them.

"Can you get me something to drink?" he croaked, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Water, Don. That's what you need."

He shook his head. "No Mike. I don't need water. I need another drink to get rid of this fucking throbbing in my head."

"Stop drinking so much Don. Maybe then you'll wake up without a headache and the taste of vomit in the back of your mouth," Mike snapped, leaving the room to grab Don a drink.

"What's his problem?" Don grumbled, sitting up and scanning the room for his shirt.

"How long are you going to keep this up Don?" Chavo asked.

"Keep what up?"

"This rebellion against your dad or whatever it is you're doing. Each time you wake up like this, you're just as bad as he is. I thought that was something you were trying to get away from?"

Don snorted, but didn't respond. He knew they were right. With each drink he took, he became more and more like his father. The thought alone unsettled the bile in his stomach. But the more he drank, the less he thought about her. The more he drank, the easier it was to replace her with someone else, if only for one night. He sighed and ambled into the bathroom, ignoring Mike who was on his way back from the kitchen. Don slammed the bathroom door and ran the hot water for a shower, hoping they would be gone when he came out, but knowing that they wouldn't.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey guys! I guess I'm on the right track with this story, since I got some pretty good reviews. It makes me happy that you guys think this is "a good Don story" so I've decided to keep going with this one. The next chapter will have my version of how Don got his "Little Fumble" nickname. And there will be more indepth stuff about Josie and her family. But for now it's about Don and his dad who hasn't quite lost control of his drinking yet._

_Cheers,  
Trizzy_

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Don dropped the football again, the third time that quarter in the practice game. Josie had finished her cheerleading run through early and had been watching the remainder of the Panther's first practice of the season. She sat next to Charlie Billingsley, who's irritation level rose with each fumble his son made. Mike Winchell, the shy reserved quarterback of the team, threw a well-aimed pass at Don. Josie watched, feeling the undeniable tension oozing from both herself and Charlie. A loud, exaggerated groan escaped Charlie when the ball slipped through Don's fingers and bounced off the turf of the stadium.

"What the hell is wrong with you Donnie?" he called out, his voice carrying over the crowd of players.

"It's OK Mr. Billingsley. It's his first high school practice. He just needs to adjust," she stated.

"Boy needs to learn to deal with the nerves. They never got to me when I played. He should just adjust naturally," Charlie said, casting a glance at the fourteen year old.

"Give him a chance. And maybe some encouragement. Let him know he's not disappointing you," she whispered.

"All that boy knows how to do is let me down," he spat, standing up. "Am I driving you home after this humiliation Josie?"

"Yes sir." She nodded, staring down at her best friend.

"I'll be in the car waiting. I can't watch this anymore. Embarrassing me, making me sick," he grumbled, lumbering off.

"Mr. Billingsley!" she called after him.

He turned to face her. "What is it Josie?"

"Do you think you could at least tell Donnie he did a good job today? It'll really make him feel good," she requested.

Charlie snorted. "You really care about his feelings that much Josephine?"

She nodded. "I do sir. Donnie's my best friend and I know he'd do the same for me. I don't want to see him get hurt, if I can do something about it."

He smiled, slowly nodding. "You're a good friend to my boy Josie. Probably the best friend he's ever had. Don't let high school change that."

"I won't let anything change it Mr. Billingsley," she said with a bright smile. "And Donnie's not a bad ball player. You and I both know that."

When their practice ended, she trotted to greet a tired Don as he emerged from the locker-room. She flung herself onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He hugged her tight to his body, walking off the field with her. Brian Chavez looked over at the two and nudged Mike in the ribs. Mike smiled at the pair as they walked off, arms linked together. He turned to Brian, who wore a matching smile on his face.

"Now how long do you think it will be before they start dating?" Mike inquired.

Brian shrugged. "I don't know if they even realize they like each other yet."

"I don't think it will take that long. Not once the season starts and girls start throwing themselves on Billingsley," Mike stated.

Brian laughed and shoved Mike to the side. Ahead of them, Don and Josie approached the car, laughing about Don's recent comments about her cheerleading uniform. Don did most of the laughing, while Josie slowly began to develop a complex about the black sweater and short black and white skirt of the Permian Panther's cheerleaders. Another comment about the length of her skirt and Josie had had enough. She shoved him back and then tackled him to the ground, laughing as she did so. Don grabbed her around the waist and rolled her over so she was on her back in the parking lot. As he straddled her, pinning her down on the ground, he looked down into her deep blue eyes. What he saw was like a slap in the face. Staring into her eyes, he realized for the first time that he was in love with his best friend. He felt like he'd suddenly remembered the answer to a question on a test; something he had known all along but had just failed to notice. It knocked him backwards and he stumbled as he stood up. Josie looked up at him, confusion painted on her face.

"Donnie are you alright?" she inquired, hopping up and touching the side of his face.

"I'm…it's cool. Let's just go home alright? Practice wore me out," he sighed, climbing into the back seat of the car.

Josie looked over at Charlie, who merely shrugged and slid into the car. He turned to look back at his son, who was staring out the window chewing his lower lip. "You uh…you did a good job out there today Donnie."

Don looked up at his dad, blinking confusion from his eyes. "Um…thanks dad. I need to work on my catching though."

"You'll get it Donnie. It just takes a little practice, that's all," Charlie stated, encouraged by his son's readiness to admit his problem spots. "When I started high school ball, I couldn't make a pass to save my life. I just kept working at it until I got it."

Josie hid a smile from the pair as they spent the remainder of the trip home discussing football plays and worked out a schedule for practicing. The shadow of her house loomed ahead of the group. As usual, Donnie picked up on her obvious discomfort and inched closer to her in the seat. He put an arm around her shoulders and she looked over at him. A weak smile formed on her face as she turned back to stare out the window.

"I'm sure my dad won't mind if you stay over tonight," he whispered, his deep voice betraying his trip through puberty.

The huskiness of his whisper sent shivers down her spine. "No, it's alright. I have to go home tonight. Mom needs me to watch Nyssa while she works. It's just…the memory of him is still fresh," she sighed. "I just want to know when things will be normal again."

"Probably never," he admitted bluntly. "But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying your life. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow Jos."

"Goodnight Don. Thank you for the ride Mr. Billingsley," Josie sighed, opening the car door and climbing out into the cool twilight wind.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: OK so I didn't actually mention Little Fumble at all. But I am getting around to it. I've decided to just stop announcing it. So, here is chapter three. I hope you guys like it. I still haven't decied the romantic fate of Josie and Don yet. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. Thanks guys!_

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Josie rushed down the hall in her gym clothes, on her way to deliver a message to the football coach. No one paid attention to the freshman as she darted in and out of crowds and wove around people in her way. She was flustered from practice; Melody had won cheerleading captain instead of her. Josie wasn't quite sure why it upset her so much. All she knew was that she hated Melody almost as much as she hated her father. She was so wrapped up in her blind rage for the short brunette that she didn't see where she was going. Her seething fury led her charging right into a wall, or something built just like it. She fell backwards, landing hard on her bottom. The soft chuckled that escaped "the wall" made her glance up, anger still alight in her eyes.

"You might want to watch where you're going next time," he laughed, extending a hand to help her up.

"Sorry. I don't see things when I'm angry," she stated, ignoring the flush of her cheeks.

"Well combining that with barrelling down the halls…you'd make a great football player," he observed.

"Donnie says that to me all the time," she grumbled. "I'm kind of sick it."

"Donnie? You mean Billingsley. Damn I keep forgetting people still call him that."

She raised an eyebrow. "Well it is his name. You don't call your team-mates by their names?" she inquired.

"Naw we do. But we call mostly call him either Billingsley or Little-"

"Charlie. He mentioned that to me. You know, Don isn't even a shadow of Charlie. Maybe you guys should give him his own identity," she snapped.

He smiled. "I agree. He's a good guy. Just not sure if he's Panther material. Boy can't hold onto the ball to save his life."

"Give him time. Now where's your coach? I have a message for him," she said, standing up straight.

"Out on the field, teaching your boy Donnie how to receive a pass without fumbling," he stated, pointing her in the right direction.

She peered at him. "Who are you?"

"My name's James. The guys call me Boobie," he replied.

"Ah. Well it all makes sense now. Thanks James," she called out as she resumed her run down the hall.

When she finally burst through the doors, the hot Texas sun nearly blinded her. Shielding her eyes, Josie scanned the football field, maintaining a steady pace as she did so. She saw Don and two boys she recognized, but didn't know. Josie could only assume that the man wildly gesticulating was their coach. Don looked over and saw her approaching, so he waved her over. The coach turned to the distraction of his player and a smile passed over his face. With a sigh, Josie resumed her rushed pace, stopping inches away from Don. He draped his arm around her shoulders and returned his focus to the coach. The other two stared at her and she could feel one of them giving her the up-down. She turned to the coach and handed him an envelope she seemed to produce from nowhere.

"I was supposed to give you this message from Mrs. Sabourin," she stated, folding her arms protectively over her chest.

He nodded. "Alright, looks like we're done here boys. You can go get showered and changed."

Don smiled and put Josie in a head lock. "Thanks for gettin' us out of that Jos."

"I had nothing to do with it. Had I known, I woulda left your sorry ass in the hot seat," she teased, punching him in his well protected stomach. "Ow."

"Stupid," he stated. "Hey Chavez, you commin over tonight?"

The boy who gave her the once over nodded. "As long as your dad doesn't mind."

Don shrugged. "He won't. What about you Mike? Doing anything?"

"I'm busy actually. Maybe Josie could take my place," he suggested, pulling his white training jersey over his head.

"What d'ya say Jos? Up for some movie watching tonight? It's just me and Chavez," he offered, rubbing her head.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and flung him to the ground. "Only if you NEVER ruffle my hair like that again," she panted, brushing her bangs from her face.

Don grinned. "Can't make that promise Josie. You know that."

"Then I guess I'm going home." She turned to Mike. "Want some company on the bus?"

He laughed at the look on Don's face. "I wouldn't mind that."

"Great. I'll meet you out front then," she stated, jumping up and walking over to him.

Don jumped up right behind her. "Hey now. My dad can drop you off, even if you aren't coming over."

"That's alright. I'll take the bus with Mike," she said. "Call me later Donnie. We can talk then."

He frowned, grabbing her upper arm. "A quick word, Jos?"

Don didn't wait for an answer before pulling her away from Brian and Mike. Chavez approached Mike, unable to hide the smile on his face. Mike shook his head, knowing exactly what he was about to say. He held up a hand as Brian opened his mouth to make a smartass comment. Josie and Don were in the middle of a heated argument, that much was obvious. But neither boy could read lips and that meant they had to strain their ears to catch bits and pieces of the conversation. Brian snorted when Josie called Don a pig headed football player, before realizing he was a football player too. Mike laughed at him, stopping short to catch more snippets of conversation. Josie had called him cute; a comment that brought a flush to his cheeks. It was Brian's turn to laugh.

"Oh Mike Winchell. You just caused trouble in paradise. Good luck playing ball with Billingsley now," he chuckled.

Mike rolled his eyes. "Nothing's going to change, Chavo."

"Yeah right. The girl Billingsley so vehemently denies having feelings for decides to ride home with you and he loses his cool. Something's already changed," Brian stated, clapping him on the back. "Sorry man."

Josie stormed up to them. "Mike, I'm sorry. It seems that I will be going with Don tonight. Maybe next time," she huffed, stomping back to the school.

While Mike was spluttering for a response, Don strolled up to his friends. "Looks like Josie wants to see some movies with Chavo and I tonight," he gloated.

Mike shook his head and wrenched himself away from Don. "It's a shame you had to bully her into actually going with you Billingsley. Because she sounded excited to be doing something that didn't involve you."

"What does that mean Mike?" Don asked as they walked back to the change room.

He shrugged. "Just that Josie doesn't need to do everything with you. If she wants to take the bus home, she shouldn't feel guilty about it."

"Fuck you Mike," Don snapped, following Josie's angry path back to the school.

Brian shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "Still think nothing's changed Mike?"

"Shit," Mike sighed, stalking sulkily into the school.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Well here is a nice long chapter for you, maybe foreshadowing maybe not. We will see. But anyway, I hope you guys like it. Izzers, I'm sorry that it wasn't up last night when I said it would be...I fell asleep at the helm and then has to work this morning. So here it is for all! We're getting into the cute part in the next few chapters. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and listen to Dane Cook while I type up some more stories. Cheers!_

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Chapter Four

The cafeteria buzzed with the conversations of hundreds of students and they were all talking about the same generic things: school work, teachers, who was with whom, the upcoming football game. From her usual cheerleading table in the centre of the crowded room, Josie could hear them all. All, that is, but the conversation she was supposed to be a part of. She didn't care about Melody's love life, so she ate her pudding in transfixed silence. At the next table over, Don was also enjoying his lunch with uncharacteristic silence. Josie hadn't called him after his dad had dropped her off. In the six years of their friendship, it had been the first time he'd gone to bed without talking to her. All night he'd lain awake trying to figure out why. The only conclusion he kept coming back to was Mike. Hurt and confusion awaited him at school that morning when Josie didn't return his morning salutations. He couldn't understand why she couldn't see that he was in love with her and was even more confused that she didn't feel the same. It just made sense for them to be together. He sighed and looked down at his empty lunch tray. A warm grip on his forearm jolted him back to the moment.

"Can I talk to you Don?" Josie asked voice above a whisper.

His face fell when she failed to call him Donnie. "Sure Jos. What's up?"

She shook her head. "Not here. The stands at the field."

"But we'll miss English," he stated, mentally slapping himself for being stupid.

Josie tried to hide her smile and failed. "So?"

He returned her fugitive smile and stood up. "Let's go then."

She followed him out into the blinding afternoon sun, shielding her eyes. "I'm sorry about this morning. For not, well, acknowledging you."

"Why didn't you?" he inquired.

"I saw you with Mike and Chavez and I just got so angry all over again," she explained.

"Well…what did I do?"

"You're kidding right?" He shook his head. "Don, you treated me like I was your property. Just because we've spent the last six years going home from school together, doesn't mean we do it for the rest of our lives. I NEED other people in my life."

"Yeah but do those other people have to be my friends? I mean…what about Melody? Can't she be your bus buddy?" he asked.

"Donnie, I hate Melody. You know that. And the stupid bitch got captain," Josie glowered.

"I'm sorry Jos. I know how much you wanted captain," he said, rubbing her back. "You deserve it more, if that helps."

She smiled and climbed the stairs to the stands. "Kind of. But not all that much. It doesn't make me captain."

"I tried," he sighed, sitting down with her. "Do you really like Mike?"

"Does it really bother you if I do?" she countered.

"Yeah, it does," he admitted.

"But I don't understand why. Mike is a good guy. Why would it bother you?" she prodded.

He wanted to shout his reason. He would have settled for just whispering. But all he could do was shrug and say: "They're my friends. So it's weird."

"Donnie, they'll always be YOUR friends. I would never come between you guys. But I wouldn't want to date someone you…I don't know. If you don't want me dating your friends, tell me now and I won't," she said.

It was his chance to nip his problem in the bud. In hindsight, he should have put his foot down and told her no. But, being the good friend he was, he merely shook his head and smiled. "I don't know why you'd want to date my friends, but I'm not going to stop you."

She grinned. "Good because Brian asked me to the dance next week."

"He did WHAT?" Don demanded. "I thought this was about Mike?"

"It's not entirely about Mike. Mike's just come up because of yesterday," she explained.

"Well…when did Chavo ask you to the dance?"

"This morning, before math," she replied, chewing thoughtfully on her thumbnail.

"That ass," he muttered. "I told him not to ask you."

"You said you were alright with this," she said.

"That's when I thought we were talking about Mike," he replied hotly.

"What's the big difference?"

"Chavez just wants to have sex with you!" he exploded.

"What? Don that's an asshole thing to say about your friend," she snapped.

"It's true though! Have you never seen the looks he gives you? At least Mike knows how to treat a girl," Don grumbled. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"At some point, I'll need to fall down. You can't protect me forever," she sighed.

"I can if you'll let me," he countered.

She smiled sadly. "I'm not going to let you. Soon enough, you'll have a girlfriend you'll want to protect more."

"I'll never want to protect anyone more than you. You're my best friend in the whole world Jos. No girlfriend of mine, or boyfriend of yours, will come between us," he stated with naïve determination.

"Promise?" she inquired, turning to face him.

He nodded. "I promise. You'll always be my number one Josie."

She threw herself on him and gave him a bear hug. "You're the best Donnie. As long as I live, no one will replace you."

"Are you still going to the dance with Chavez?" he asked.

"Do you want me to?" He shook his head. "Then I won't."

"You should go with Mike. He likes you," Don stated.

"Really? Quiet little Mike?"

Don reluctantly nodded. "I don't know if he like likes you. But he wants to ask you to the dance."

"Well I bet you scared him off after your tantrum yesterday," she stated.

"I wouldn't call it a tantrum," he pouted.

"Oh I would," she laughed.

"Why don't YOU ask him then?" he snapped.

"Girls don't ask guys out. That's the guy's job. All the girl has to do is look pretty," she replied, glancing down at her watch. "We should head back."

"So you won't go with Chavez?" he pressed, rising from his seat.

"Not if Mike asks me. I haven't given Brian an answer anyway. I told him I needed to ask you first," she replied with a smile.

"Then it's a good thing I told him last night I didn't like it. Otherwise things might be awkward."

"You don't thing they are already? That Billingsley temper is not something to be reckoned with," she teased, ruffling his hair.

All expressions left his face. "You are dead Josephine. Oh so dead."

He lunged at her, but she narrowly dodged him. With a shriek of laughter, Josie dashed down the stairs of the stands. Don was close behind her, determined to catch her. A few of the other people who were down at the field, watched the two chase each other around. Josie wove around the field as if it were littered with football players. Don mirrored her movements and soon he caught up to her. He grabbed her around the waist, tackling her to the ground. Breathing heavily, he pinned her to the turf, finding himself in the same position that got him into his mess of feelings in the first place. Josie giggled, oblivious to the longing in his eyes. When she realized he wasn't laughing with her, she stopped abruptly and looked up at him.

"Oh, you were serious about killing me?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Do you know how to dance?"

She blinked, at a loss for words. "Uh…yes, I do. Why?"

"Because I don't and I need to learn by next week. Will you teach me?" he asked.

"Um…yeah sure. Who are you taking to the dance?" she inquired.

"Oh I uh haven't decided yet," he lied. "I just have so many girls in line to be my date."

She rolled her eyes and pushed him off her. "Oh great. Like you need another reason to be full of yourself."

He laughed and looked up at the clear blue sky. "I don't know what you're talking about Jos. Will you teach me?"

"If it means that much to you. Come over to my place tonight. We'll dance and watch a movie or something," she said, propping herself up on her elbows.

"I don't have practice tonight. Want to just come to my place?" he inquired.

"Sure, if your dad doesn't mind," she said.

"You know he won't," he scoffed.

"Well, I need to go home first and grab my music, then I'll bike over. Cool?"

He nodded. "Cool. I'll see you in science."

"See ya," she said, hopping up and jogging back to the school.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I am so sorry this took so long. I was trying really hard to find a way to make this chapter work and have it lead into the events of the chapters following it. And after much typing and re-typing, this is what I have managed to spit out. I hope you enjoy it, because this is going to be the last bit of fluff for a while now. I know most of you will hate me, but sometimes these things have to be done and quite frankly, none of you will hate me for this chapter after you read the chapter after it. I am prepared for your reactions...almost. Please don't round up an angry mob and storm my account with angry reviews or PMs. Hope you enjoy the short bit of fluff!_

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CHAPTER FIVE

Josie shrieked with laughter as Don awkwardly led her around the living room. They had pushed the coffee table against the wall and moved the arm chairs to the other side of the room so she could teach him how to dance. For the first hour, he had taken it very seriously, absorbing every single thing she told him as if his brain were a sponge. But his determination had slowly begun to dissolve with each misplaced step to her foot. So now it was all a game. Charlie watched them from the kitchen, a small smile on his face. He hadn't seen them like this since they'd started high school and it was refreshing to see they hadn't lost the closeness of their relationship. Maybe this was something Don needed to be a better football player, he thought. The living room now drowned in Don's laughter as they bumped into the TV stand while "Tainted Love" played in the background.

"Don you're a hopeless dancer," Josie giggled.

"No I'm not. I really did learn!" he protested, clutching her slender waist and trying once again to lead her around.

She placed her hand on the back of his neck and moved closer to his body. "Alright, one more time. After that, you fail."

He swallowed a lump in his throat and found it in his pants. "Uh, I think we need a better song."

"This one is almost over. Just hang on and wait for it to finish," she stated, oblivious to his discomfort. "So you never told me who you were taking to the dance."

"I uh haven't asked her yet. I wanted to learn how to dance first," he said sheepishly.

"You're so cute sometimes Donnie. It amazes me sometimes," she cooed.

"Who are you taking?" he inquired, looking down at the ground to hide his blush.

She smiled. "I'm just waiting for Mike to ask me. I told Brian I wasn't going with him and he took it surprisingly well."

"Yeah? He wasn't mad?"

"Not really no," she said as 'Against All Odds" came on the radio.

Don looked at her, eyebrow raised. "Uh…is this Phil Collins?"

"So? I love this song," she protested.

"You're so lame!" he laughed, leaning against the wall.

She pushed him over. "Shut up Donnie. Should I remind you of the time I caught you listening, no, singing along to Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart? Because that-"

Don swept her feet out from under her and caught her as she hit the floor next to him. "We agreed never to speak of that again Jojo. You broke the promise. I'm afraid I have to kill you."

"Shall we call it even if you just dance with me to one song?" she asked, looking over at him.

"This song?" he groaned.

"No not this song," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'll pick the song."

He propped himself up on his elbows as she crawled over to the stereo. "Is it as stupid as Phil Collins?"

She cast an irritated glance at him over her shoulder. "No. Here it is."

He groaned again as she pulled him to his feet. "Aw man Journey? Open Arms is the cheesiest song ever! I didn't think you could pick a song worse than Phil Collins, but you did it."

"Stop complaining and hold me close. You need to learn how to slow dance," she demanded.

"Well if I must," he smirked, pulling her against his body. "Too close?"

"For you maybe," she giggled, putting half an inch of space between them.

He blushed and looked down at the floor. "Sorry. I've never uh…sorry."

She placed a hand on the side of his face. "It's alright Donnie. Let's just dance."

He nodded and followed her lead. They swayed slowly around the living room while Steve Perry poured his heart out through the speakers. Don's hand moved casually up her back to rest on the nape of her neck while her body found its way closer to his. She closed her eyes and rested her cheek against his chest. A small sigh of content escaped them both and their grips on each other tightened. From the kitchen, Charlie smiled and turned to hide it. He left the kitchen, wanting them to be alone for what he knew was about to follow. Open Arms soon gave way to Waiting For A Girl Like You and Don looked down at his best friend. Never in his life had he wanted to kiss her more, so he ignored everything in him that said no, and lifted her chin. Josie was just as caught up in the moment as he was and soon they were sharing their first kiss. It was everything Don had waited for and it was then that he realized he never wanted to let Josie go. But she pulled away and looked up at him, worlds of confusion in her eyes. She bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to say or how to say it. He misread her confusion as a hesitancy to find the right words to reject him so he took it upon himself to break the silence.

"I'm sorry. That was-just practicing," he joked softly, breaking all contact with her and moving into the kitchen.

"Donnie," she whispered, touching her lips and chasing after him. "Donnie it's alright."

"I'm going to the dance with Melody," he stated bluntly, pulling a Pepsi from the fridge.

She stepped back, clutching her hands over her heart. "What? But you said you-why Donnie?"

"She asked me last week," he replied, opening the can and swallowing half of it in one gulp.

"But…I hate her. Why would you go with someone I hate?"

"She asked me. It was just easier."

"Well can't you tell her no? I broke my date with Brian. Please don't take Melody," she pleaded.

"Well who am I going to go with then? You? You're waiting for Mike to ask you," he snapped.

"I'll go with you if it means you won't go with her. She's a horrible person Donnie. I don't want her to happen to you," Josie said, stepping up to him.

He moved back, looking out the window. "I'll make my own choices Josie. Thanks for teaching me how to dance. You should probably go now."

She squared her jaw and clenched her teeth to block her tears. "Fine. Good night Don. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

He watched her walk away, mentally beating himself for instigating an unnecessary fight. With a groan he chugged the rest of his soda and threw the can in the recycling bin. Charlie chose that moment to walk back into the room, only to find a downtrodden Don, and not the chipper boy he expected to see. He sighed immediately and placed his empty glass on the counter.

"Where's Josie?" he inquired.

Don grunted. "We got into a fight. She left."

Charlie shook his head. "How did you blow it this time Don?"

"I kissed her and then told her I was taking the girl she loathes to the dance," he replied, staring hard at the floor.

"Sometimes I wonder how you can be as stupid as you are. It was really simple Donnie. You kiss her, tell her how you feel and go from there. You don't kiss her and tell her you're taking her rival to the dance," Charlie scolded.

"You didn't see her face after I did it though. She was just looking at me while she thought of a nice way to let me down," Don protested.

"And you know that for sure? You need to look in her eyes Donnie. The eyes give everything away," Charlie explained.

"It wouldn't have mattered. She likes Mike. I doubt she would have gone to the dance with me anyway," Don sighed, heading for the living room. "I'm going to bed. G'night dad."

"Good night Donnie," Charlie said, watching his son disappear dejectedly around the corner.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Please don't hate me for this! It needed to be done!_

* * *

Don awoke the next morning with the crunch of dried tears on his cheeks. He'd tried all night to apologize to her but she wouldn't return his calls. It was the first time he'd cried himself to sleep since his mom died. The only difference being that the hurt was all his fault this time. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, he began to get ready for school. He would apologize to her there, tell her wasn't taking Melody to the dance because he was in love with her. It was so perfect, how could it not work? He stood in front of the school doors, taking deep, steadying breaths to calm his nerves, before finally pushing them open. With calm determination, he marched in the direction of Josie's locker. He turned the corner and his heart ripped in two. Josie stood at her locker with Brian, laughing harder than Don had ever seen her laugh. Every time she put her hand on Brian's arm, his chest tightened. It was too hard for him to breathe and he turned away to leave. The walk down the hall was hard; he was turning his back on his best friend and the love of his life. Tears burned the back of his eyes and soon he found himself back outside in the warm morning sun. People pushed him aside in their rush to class and as his back hit the wall, he decided it just wasn't a good day for school. So he left.

---

Josie sat in third period English, looking over to her left. A desk usually occupied by Don was empty and cold. She chewed her bottom lip and finished copying the notes. Don had been missing all day and she was starting to worry. Another night had passed without then saying their usual good nights and wasn't something Josie was used to. Their fight from the previous night seemed silly to her now. If Don wanted to go to the dance with Melody, she couldn't stop him. Going to the dance didn't mean they would become a couple. Don could end up hating Melody just as much as she herself did. She glanced up at the clock, waiting for the bell to signal the end of class. Once it did, she would go looking for Don. She would apologize to him and tell him she didn't judge him for taking Melody to the dance. After an eternity of waiting, the bell rang. Josie was the first one out the door and was half way to her locker when Mike stepped in front of her. She inwardly groaned at the interruption of her quest, but gave him a wide smile.

"Hi Mike. Have you seen Don at all today?" she asked, continuing down the hall.

He kept pace beside her. "That's what I actually came to you about. I haven't seen him and I kinda wanted to talk to him."

"Yeah me too," she sighed. "What did you want to talk to him about?"

"Oh um…football stuff," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Did you know he was taking Melody to the dance?" she inquired, stopping at her locker and fiddling with the combination lock.

"Uh…will you hurt me if I say yes?" he countered.

She smiled and placed her hand on his wrist. "No."

"Then uh…yeah. I knew. Most of us did. Although none of us knew why he was taking her when-" He paused when he saw Don approaching them. "Don! Where have you been all day man?"

"Just…out. Hey Mike do you mind if I talk to Josie for a bit?" he inquired, casting a glance down at the placement of Josie's hand.

Josie threw her books in her locker, slamming it shut. "I was just coming to find you Donnie. I needed to talk to you about last night."

"Alright let's go talk then," Don stated gruffly, grabbing her wrist and dragging her down the hall.

"Don, stop it. You're hurting my arm," she said as he pulled her outside.

He sighed, releasing his grip on her. "I'm sorry. I'm just-I saw you with Brian this morning."

She blinked. "What-oh at the very start of the morning?" He nodded. "Yeah he had a story about Melody he just HAD to tell me. It was actually pretty funny."

"Why do you treat her like that? Don't you think talking about people behind their backs is a little rude?" he snapped.

More blinking. "She does it to me all the time. I told you Don, she's not a good person. But it was Brian's story not mine."

"Well you weren't helping by laughing your damn ass off," he barked. '_Shut up Don! This is NOT the direction you were supposed to take this conversation in!'_

"You know what Don Billingsley? I was actually sorry for what I said to you last night. I even wanted to tell you- you're being an asshole for no reason! If you want to go to the dance with Melody and be her little lap dog for the rest of your life then go ahead!" Josie shouted, turning her back to him.

"What were you going to tell me Jos?" he asked, suddenly forgetting his anger.

"It doesn't even matter anymore. The moment is gone," she huffed, walking away.

He jogged along side her. "Well, what was it about?"

"You can't just bite my head off and expect me to pour my heart out to you right afterwards. Leave me alone Don. Go home and get ready for your stupid date with Melody. A date that I spent the last week teaching you how to look good for!" she snapped.

"Are you going with Mike?"

"He didn't ask me. I'm going alone," she said, storming off towards the bus.

He stopped jogging and watched her go. His curiosity was eating him inside. She had wanted to tell him something about last night and he blew it by being insensitive. With a sigh he walked back to the school, only to bump into Mike on his way. A small groan must have passed his lips, because Mike backed up, a little hurt.

"Well it's nice to see you too Billingsley," he said, shifting his backpack to his other shoulder.

"Why didn't you ask Josie to the dance?" Don inquired.

Confusion passed over Mike's dark features. "Well because she's going with Brian. He asked her this morning and she said yes."

"WHAT?" Don bellowed. "She just told me she was going by herself because you didn't ask her!"

A small smile danced onto his face. "She was waiting for me to ask her? Then why did she say yes to Brian today?"

Don growled in anger. "Because she's mad at me for taking Melody, so she's trying to get back at me. Son of a bitch! I told Chavez he couldn't ask her and she already told him no! Why would he ask her again?"

"Maybe he found out that she knew about you and Melody?" Mike suggested with a shrug. "But uh, if this date with Brian is just a shot at you and they don't start dating, would it be cool if I asked her out?"

"What?" Don asked, blinking in confusion. "Why would you need to ask my permission? I'm not her father."

"No but you're her best friend and you're kind of in love with her," Mike stated.

"I am not in love with her," Don snapped with suspicious quickness. "If I was in love with her I would have asked her to the dance myself."

"Unless you were afraid she'd say no," Mike observed. "But if you're not in love with her then, well, I guess it's ok with you?"

Don snorted. "Ask her out. See if I care."

Before Mike could say anything, Don had stormed into the school. With a tired sigh, he made his way to the bus to begin psyching himself up for the dance.

---

The gym was a mess of streamers, balloons and confetti. Don stood against the wall, sulking as he watched the door. He had been at the dance for an hour with Melody and he already wanted to go home. But Josie hadn't arrived yet and he couldn't leave until he confronted her. Mike stood next to him, shifting uneasily every time Melody walked up to them and demanded that Don dance with her or she would leave. To Mike's amusement, Don obeyed each time and the pushy cheerleader would drag him to the middle of the dance floor with her friends. But Don's eyes never left the doors to the gym, and Mike found himself glancing in the same direction when he wasn't busy laughing at his friend. That was how the both saw Josie saunter in on Brian's arm twenty minutes later. Her brown hair was long down her back, setting off the gold in her dress. Don felt his breath catch in his throat, something that Melody mistook for herself. She smiled and pulled Don closer, but he wrenched himself free. When she turned to see her dance storming across the room to the girl at the door, her vision went red. Mike, who seemed to sense confrontation a mile away, quickly moved to intercept his angry friend. The three of them arrived at the duo at the same time, but Don got the first words out.

"I thought you said you were coming alone tonight?"

"Oh did I? Sorry, I guess I lied. It's something you should recognize," she replied coldly, clutching Brian's arm tighter.

"That was harsh, Josie. I never lied to you about coming to the dance with Melody," Don said, folding his arms over his chest.

"You didn't? Oh well forgive me. Bullshit Don, you just lied to me again. All the times I asked you who you were taking to the dance, what did you say?" she demanded.

"I uh, I said that…I never said I was taking Melody!" he stammered.

"Ha! I believe your response was: I just haven't asked anyone yet. I wanted to learn how to dance before I asked her," she said, her voice dropping to a low, dull tone when she mocked Don.

"Shut up Josie, quit being such a bitch!" Don shouted. "You have no idea what was going on in my head every time I said that to you!"

"Well do enlighten me Don. I can't imagine it was all that much, since you only think about ONE THING. Because didn't you say to me that you had a huge line up of girls to choose from?" she yelled.

"Uh guys, you sort of have an audience so maybe you should just take this-"

"Shut up Mike!" the two bellowed, unaware that all the dancing had stopped.

"Oh nice Don. You sure do know how to treat your friends," Josie sneered.

"Well Miss High and Mighty, do you want to tell Mike why you're really here with Brian? Because he was going to ask you to be his date tonight, since you led him on so nicely," Don barked.

"Do you think you could keep me out of this?" Mike inquired, a blush creeping up his neck.

"I did NOT lead him on!" Josie shrieked. "I'm with Brian because he asked me and I wanted to go with him."

"Bullshit! You never wanted to go with Brian. You waited for almost two weeks for Mike to ask you. And you PROMISED me you wouldn't go with Brian! Yet here you are," Don roared.

"Don stop it! I-"

"You know what Josie? You are nothing but a backstabbing whore!"

The whole gym fell silent. Everyone in the room knew how close Don and Josie had been for the past six years and to hear him say that to her was too much for them. Mike's mouth hung open in shock, while Melody couldn't hide the smile on her face. Brian was oblivious to the whole situation as he stared at all the girls in short skirts. The two at the centre of the storm stood face to face, one on the verge of tears and the other in complete shock at the words that had come out of his mouth. Don opened his mouth to immediately take them back, but the palm of her hand connected with the side of his face and nearly sent him to the ground. Her tears fell freely down her flushed cheeks now and Don could see the world of pain he had just caused her. His cheek throbbed and his jaw felt out of place but all he could feel was the tight constriction of his chest. She was panting with anger and pain as she pushed him against the wall, a fistful of his shirt in her hand.

"I don't ever want to talk to you again Don Billingsley, do you understand? You are worthless to me. I hope you enjoy your whore," she breathed, too angry to yell anymore. "Take me home Brian."

Brian wandered out of his daze and nodded. "Yeah alright. This is a boring dance anyway."

Don watched her walk away, unable to say anything to make her stay. "I'm going home Melody. Enjoy the rest of the dance."

"Uh Don? Will I see you tomorrow?" she inquired.

He nodded. "Sure Melody. You'll see me everyday."

She smiled and kissed him. "Goodnight Donnie."

He sighed and turned to Mike. "I'm sorry man."

All Mike could do was nod and wave his goodbyes.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Wow. Wow. I completely vanished for a long time on this story. I am SO sorry. If I still have any readers left, I apologize a million times and offer you this update. Hopefully you will not be too upset with me. In fact, I am off to write another chapter right now, to help smooth things over. But if you want Josie and Don to end up together...I'm sorry again. You will have to be patient. It will take a while. See the wonders of communication?! And I hate Melody about as much as anyone else does. Please enjoy! And thank you to everyone who added this story to their favourites. You have no idea how much that means!_CHAPTER SEVEN

* * *

Don slammed the door as he stormed into his house. His dad sat on the couch, watching a football game, a drink in his hand. The way his head bobbed between sleep and awake, Don could tell his dad was drunk. With a low sigh, he raked his fingers through his hair and sat down next to his father. Charlie turned to his dishevelled son and swallowed the rest of his drink. Don stared blankly at the TV. It was a college football game, Longhorns against Mustangs. Charlie always cheered for the Longhorns when he was drinking.

"Where's your new girlfriend Donnie?" he asked, his words thick with a whiskey accent.

"I left her at the dance," Don mumbled.

His dad snorted. "Why would you do a stupid thing like that? Unless-did you tell Josie how you feel?"

"No uh…did something stupider," he sighed.

"Why am I not surprised? What did you do, Donnie?" Charlie demanded, pouring more of the amber liquid into his glass.

"I called her a backstabbing whore, for lying about going to the dance with Chavo. She slapped me and said she never wanted to speak to me again," he stated, blinking tears from his eyes.

"She had every right to," Charlie sighed. "You had a good thing in that girl. For some reason, she defends your poor performance on the field. She can actually handle the humiliation of your inability to hold the ball."

"Dad, I don't need a football lecture right now," Don groaned.

"You're right. You need a kick in the ass for bein' so Goddamn stupid," Charlie barked.

Don stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What I really need is a father I can talk to, instead of hide from. I'm sad mom is gone too, dad."

"Boy you don't know what sad is," Charlie stated, shaking his head.

"I lost you the same night I lost mom. And tonight I lost my best friend. I think I know a thing or two about sadness," Don explained.

"I'm right here, Don. I'm not going anywhere," Charlie whispered.

"You already have, dad. You're a drunk. What good are you to me?" Don asked, walking out of the room.

Charlie Billingsley leaned back on the couch, the weight of his son's words ringing in his ears. The glint of his championship ring caught his eye. With a disgusted grunt, he pulled the ring off his finger and flung it at the TV. He downed the whiskey in his glass before tossing the glass onto the couch and drinking straight from the bottle.

Upstairs, Don lay on his bed, staring at an old picture of him and Josie. He thought about calling her, begging her to forgive him. She'd have to forgive him. They couldn't give up a six year friendship over a silly fight. Was it really a silly fight though? He'd called her a backstabbing whore. In front of everyone. And then he'd agreed to be Melody's boyfriend. An aggravated groan pushed through his lips and he slammed the photo onto his nightstand, grabbing the phone. He jabbed at the digits to Josie's number with misdirected rage. Her mom answered, telling him that Josie had come home to change and then gone for a walk with Brian. After hanging up, Don cursed and pulled off his dress clothes. He slipped a wrinkled t-shirt over his head and pulled on some old jeans before climbing out of his window. He was halfway to Brian's house when he stopped mid-jog. How desperate would he look to her? He was running to her, to apologize for the terrible things he'd said. If she didn't laugh at him, Brian would. And he would tell everyone on the team. He sighed in defeat and turned around to head home. He could apologize to her later, when no one was around.

While Don was wallowing in self pity, Josie was sitting in an oak tree listening to the crickets serenade the blanket of the night. Her left leg dangled over the edge of the branch. A beat up sketch pad rested in her lap and she chewed on her pencil. She should have enjoyed her night with Brian. He had comforted her after the dance, listened to her while she called Don every name she could think of, even inventing her own when she ran out of names to call him. But all she could think about was Don. She had thought she'd hear from him by this point in the night, despite telling him that she never wanted to speak to him again. Things of that nature never stopped him from keeping himself in her life. She stared blankly at the open book in her lap, unaware that she had drawn a cartoon version of her friend cradling a football. With a mournful sigh, Josie snapped the book shut and dropped down to the ground.

--

Morning crept up on Don while he lay awake in his bed staring at his blue ceiling. The stick on glow stars were fading into the daylight, off to rest up for the coming night. Before his alarm clock could begin the hour long task of rousing him from his usual deep slumber, he reached over and switched it off. After a full night of listening to his dad drink himself closer to his wife, Don knew that a seven AM wake up call was not on the list. The thought of a warm shower managed to get Don to leave the awkward comfort of his bed. Time to start what would promise to be a painful day. As he let the water wash over him, he replayed his apology over and over in his head. He would break up with Melody, first thing. No sense stringing her along through the situation. Then he would find Josie; tell her everything while simultaneously begging her to forgive his hurtful words. Heat of the moment was his best defence. By the time he was kicking stones down the road on his way to school, he was already feeling better.

--

Josie stood at her locker, fluffing her day old hair and trying to hide the circles under her eyes. It seemed silly the whole time, but she wouldn't sleep until he called. She had been convinced he would. He had never let a fight go on this long. Neither one of them could live with it. The rejection settled low in her stomach; hardening into a tight, uncomfortable lump she couldn't get rid of. When her mom had come to wake her for school, she had found Josie sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed staring at nothing. Now all Josie could stare at was her dishevelled reflection in the mirror. In an act of surrender, she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail on the side of her head and slammed the door shut.

"Am I interrupting something?" Josie turned and found Brian standing with his hands in his pockets.

Josie mustered a half smile through her fatigue. "Bad hair day."

"Looks fine to me," he shrugged. "I had fun last night Josie."

"Oh uh…I kinda did too," she lied, hugging her binder to her chest.

"Have you talked to Don yet?" he inquired, tossing small talk aside.

Her mouth formed a tight lipped smile. "No."

"Bummer. He probably got too busy with Melody," he stated.

"What do you want, Brian?" she snapped.

"Hey cool it Josie. I just came to see how you were holding up. Don't take your anger out on me," he shot back.

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's just-I've never gone this long in a fight with Don."

"It's been one night, Josie."

"Yeah well, when you've had a best friend since you were six that you've never gone a day without speaking to, you can come and talk to me," she said. "I have to go to class."

"We should go out tonight. It would help you forget about…well, ya know," he stated with a shrug.

She bit the corner of her lower lip. "Um, can I get back to you with that?"

He nodded. "You know where to find me."

Josie watched him walk away, one hand in his pocket and whistling a song by Pink Floyd. The fact he tried to whistle a song by one of the biggest stoner bands in rock and roll history, made Josie smile. Perhaps Don was wrong about Brian's intentions. But she didn't have time to dwell on thoughts and potential feelings for him. If she wanted her day to go smoothly at all, she would have to find Don and talk to him. She needed to tell him that she didn't mean it when she told him she never wanted to speak to him again. The truth was, Josie knew she would never be able to live her life without him. This weird tense mood they had both been in, she realized, had settled on them the day he'd kissed her. And she hadn't been able to stop thinking about that kiss. She could still feel the chills it had sent through her and the electric tingles that buzzed along her fingers and toes. Now she was beginning to wonder if she really was just surprised, or if it were something a little deeper than that. Either way, she had to find out. She needed to know why he'd kissed her, and if she was upset because she had feelings for him.

When she rounded the corner and began to march toward his locker, she stopped. He was there, dressed in his faded blue jeans with the hole in the left knee. She knew them well. They were his favourite pair. She couldn't hide the smile on her face when he turned in her direction and she saw he was wearing a Pink Floyd shirt. But the smile soon vanished when Melody ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. Josie turned her back on the couple, trying to ignore the sting of tears. Brian was right. Don hadn't called because he had been with Melody. He wasn't sorry for the things he had said or the things he had done. She touched her quivering lips with the tips of her fingers, recalling the softness of his kiss. Whether he had kissed her for practice, he was caught in the moment, or it was a perfect excuse to kiss her because he cared about her didn't matter to her anymore. Josie had managed to sort the chaos of thoughts in her head. She had feelings for her best friend. And now he was dating her worst enemy. The tight lump of rejection floated up into her chest and seized her heart. She could feel her heartache in her whole body and soon it began to choke her. Without looking back at them, she darted to the girl's washroom and promptly tried to vomit up her pain.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I'm not sure if people will like this chapter, since I hardly like this chapter. I like the ending, but that's only because it felt right. Please don't hate me for it. Thanks for reading and reviewing guys. Shout out to Izzers! Thanks for sticking it out with me._CHAPTER EIGHT

* * *

Don frowned at the small brunette fawning over him. He had never been good at ending relationships and he didn't really have that much practice with them. So he took a deep breath and did the first thing that came to mind. He pushed Melody back from him and shushed her. Then he turned back to his locker and rummaged for his English books, hoping she would get the hint and leave. But Melody wasn't a "Brush off" kind of girl. Instead of realizing that there was no relationship between the two of them, she grabbed his arm and swung him around with surprising force to face her. The rage she was feeling at the hands of his diss had painted her cheeks a deep shade of red and darkened the brown of her eyes to a near black. His own blue eyes widened and he backed away from her.

"If you have something you want to say to me, you do NOT brush me aside like some worthless, pathetic little girl like your friend Josie. She might take your crap, but I am better than that," she hissed, jabbing a manicured fingernail into his chest. "Be a man Don Billingsley."

He rubbed the sore spot she had been jabbing. "Josie is not pathetic."

Melody scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh please. Anyone stupid enough to date Brian, obviously has no real opinion of themselves."

"Brian doesn't-wait. What? Josie and Brian aren't…" He trailed off, unwilling to think of the possibility. "She wouldn't. He wouldn't."

"I heard him ask her out this morning. About fifteen minutes ago, on my way over here," she stated.

Don failed to notice the nasty smile spreading across her face. "He doesn't want her to be his girlfriend. He just wants to have sex. I told her that and Josie isn't just going to ignore it."

"She will if she's really mad at you. I'm willing to guess that she knows you better than anyone and she knows that her dating Brian will really bother you," Melody sighed, already losing interest in the conversation. "But if you still want to run off and try and salvage whatever kind of 'relationship' the two of you might have had, be my guest."

He hated the way she said the word relationship. It made him angry. If she had been a guy, he would have punched her in the face right then and there. He knew what she was doing and it made him even angrier. But not nearly the level of anger he felt towards Josie and Brian. Instead of questioning the validity of her information, like he should have done, he believed her. He was too hurt to think rationally. So he slammed his locker shut and headed for the only place he could clear his head without anyone bothering him. Like Melody had said, Josie was the only person who knew him better than anyone in his life and she wasn't about to come looking for him any time soon.

When Don arrived at the tree house, he was stunned to see Josie's back pack leaning against the trunk of the tree. His throat closed up as he struggled to breathe. His safe haven had been ripped away from him, leaving him no where to think. How stupid of him not to think that Josie would retreat to the same place when she needed to disappear. They had found it together all those years ago and it was their own little private sanctuary. But he needed it more than she did. There was nothing she needed to think about, or so he though. She was the one who had decided to choose Brian. As the anger simmered in his stomach, he marched towards the rope ladder. It was the soft, confused coo of her voice when she said his name that made him stop.

"Don? What are you doing here?" she asked.

When he looked up to respond, he saw how puffy her eyes were. "I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"Only you were going to do it with a little more venom," she sighed. "I know the angry blue of your eyes Donnie."

"Oh you think you know everything about me?" he snapped.

She began to climb down the ladder. "You can sit in the tree house Don. I'm not going to stay here and let you yell at me. I let you do enough last night."

He grabbed her arm as she tried to walk by him. "Can we talk Jos? Normally? No yelling."

"Promise?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

"Promise," he replied with a small smile. "There's…there's something I have to say to you."

"If it's about Brian or Melody-" He held up a hand to cut her off.

"It's about last night. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was taking Melody to the dance. When you asked me who I was taking and I said I hadn't asked her yet, I wasn't lying. The girl I really wanted to take…I hadn't asked her. I was working up the nerve. But then something happened and I lost it. So I blew it by agreeing to take Melody to the dance instead," he explained.

"Well if you didn't want to go with Melody, who did you want to ask?" she inquired.

He chuckled. "Are you seriously going to make me say it?"

"You say that as if I already know who it is. C'mon Don. Spill the beans. If you want me to listen and forgive you, you gotta tell me everything," she stated.

"Forgive me? For what? I already apologized for lying about…" he trailed off at the pointed look she was giving him. "Oh. You mean the…OTHER thing."

"That thing where you called me a backstabbing whore? That would be the thing I really want an apology for," she teased. "So, why don't you just finish with the story. Who did you want to take to the dance?"

He groaned and rubbed the back of his neck. "You," he mumbled, staring at his shoes.

Josie blinked, not sure she heard him right. "What?"

"I wanted to ask you, Josie. But I chickened out when I kissed you and saw you working out a nice way of rejection," he replied.

"That's why you bit my head off that night? Donnie, I wasn't trying to reject you."

"Then why did you go to the dance with Brian, instead of Mike?"

"Because I was mad at you! You kissed me, and stirred up all these feelings that I'd been trying to snuff out for a year, then you knocked me down by telling me that you were going to take my worst enemy to the dance. Don't you get it? I thought…I was so excited when you wanted me to teach you how to dance. I thought that was when it would happen," she stated.

"When what would happen?" he asked, clearly puzzled.

She shook her head. "Sometimes you really do act like a brainless football player."

"Hey! How about instead of insulting me, you tell me what you thought was going to happen," he snapped.

"Forget it. I was obviously wrong," she shot back, reaching for her bag.

"Jos. I'm sorry. Please tell me," he whispered.

When she looked back up at him, her eyes were filled with tears. "I thought that you'd tell me that you felt the fire between us, the same way I did. I thought you would say that and we would be together forever, because that's how right it felt to be dancing in your arms. And when you kissed me, any doubt I had just fell away. When I looked up at you, I wanted to see if you meant it. Then you tore it all away and went to the dance with Melody and said I was a backstabbing whore."

Don felt tears of his own on his cheeks as he watched his best friend pour her heart out while she sobbed. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms trying to calm her down. Instead, he felt her lips on his. He could taste the salt of her tears in the kiss. She grabbed his shirt in her hands, trying to pull him closer to her body. His arms circled her waist and his hands pressed against the small of her back. Josie pushed him back against the trunk of the tree. Their argument and everything leading up to it, was forgotten in the heat of the moment they were sharing. Their hands explored a territory they had only dreamed of feeling. Josie broke their kiss only for a moment to pull Don's shirt over his head, but it was a pause long enough to let Don's thoughts catch up with him.

"Josie, stop," he breathed, taking his shirt from her hand. "Not like this. You're emotional and it's not fair."

She wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand. "Not fair to your new girlfriend, you mean?"

"No, that's not what I mean. I…I'm in love with you and I don't want you to remember your first time happening up against a tree while you're crying your eyes out," he blurted.

"You're in love with me?" she whispered. "If that were true, this wouldn't be a problem for you."

"I refuse to take advantage of my best friend. Why are you trying to make me the bad guy Jo-Jo?" he inquired, putting his shirt back on.

"I'm pouring my heart out to you and you make fun of me and tell me you love me? Bad form, Don. Bad form," she spat.

"Bad fo-Josie! You're being ridiculous right now. Do you hear yourself? You need to go home, calm down and call me tonight so we can continue this conversation without all the crazy," he snapped, stalking off towards the road.

"If you walk away from me Don Billingsley, I will never speak to you again!" she shouted.

He whirled around but didn't walk back to her. "From where I'm standing, there doesn't seem to be anything left for us to say!"

With those words, Don turned around and left Josie standing under the tree. It was the last thing either would say to the other for their next year at Permian High School together.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Wow. I kinda vanished didn't I? A whole lot happened in my life and things got in the way. Recently I found my hard copy of this chapter. I'm not entirely sure where I am going to take this from here, but I feel like I owe it to anyone still reading my story. I do plan on posting more for this and my next chapter will be a flashback of Josie and Don from a time before high school got in the way. I hope if anyone does read this, that they like it!_

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CHAPTER NINE

Josie sat away from the rest of the cheerleaders. Her breath came out in quick, ragged bursts. It was the first game of the season, and her first game since quitting the squad last year. The decision had been an imulsive one, brought on by her unwillingness to show even the slightest inkling of support for Don. But it was a decision that plagued her for the rest of the school year, and the summer leading up to their new one. Melody had taken Josie's resignation as a victory over the brunette. Her gloating, her smirking and her whispering had infuriated Josie into rejoining the team. Melody's rage contorted face was the greatest satsifaction Josie had felt in a long time; reason enough to keep cheering. However, Melody was not someone who stumbled for very long. Girls on the squad who had been Josie's friends, were now whispering with Melody. They alienated her, unwilling to take her back after her betrayal. Their defection to the dark side of the squad stung, occasionally bringing tears to her eyes. She pulled her long hair into a ponytail, took a deep breath and smoothed the wrinkles in her uniform.

"Josie."

Melody's cold pronunciation of her name made her wince.

"Captain," Josie hissed.

"We all know that Donnie isn't the greatest player when he's angry." The way she cooed his name boiled Josie to the core.

"He's not the greatest player any day. What's your point, Melody?" Josie growled.

Melody's heavilly penciled eyebrow arched as she puckered her lips. "I'm sure he would just DIE to hear you say that about him." The other girls snickered behind their hands. "We've all agreed that you should stay out of the focus, so Donnie can concentrate on the game."

"Can you please just get to the end, so we can stop talking to each other, please?" Josie sighed, too tired to maintain her cold anger.

"You and Sarah are trading places."

Josie jumped up from the bench. "WHAT? We've practiced all week with Sarah in behind! She's not a strong cheerleader!"

"Well, if you don't like it, quit. Again. We won't miss you. And neither will my boyfriend," Melody sneered.

"He may be your boyfriend, but you know nothing about Don. You don't know why he does anything he does, or how he really feels about his father," Josie whispered.

"Maybe not. But I know how he really feels about you, and that's all I care about." She could tell by the look on Josie's face that she'd struck a nerve. "What? You thought that he just pretends you don't exist? Only when you're around, sweetie."

"He talks about me? To you?" she croaked, unable to take anymore breaths. "What does he say?"

"Nothing nice. But everything he's told me about you doesn't come as a huge shock to me. I mean, you'd have to be a pretty serious screw up as a daughter to make your father up and leave you in the middle of the night."

Josie felt her heart completely freeze. "What did you just say?"

"Oh, you thought your secrets were safe with him, even if your friendship is over? Wow, you really are as stupid as we thought you were. Don will get a laugh out of that," Melody stated, chuckling to herself.

The room had begun to tilt as Melody spoke, but as the rest of the girls joined in on the laughter, Josie felt completely upside down. Blood rushed to her head so fast that she felt as if she were spinning. The forest green of their skirts began to bleed into the white of their shirts. She gasped for air as her throat closed around each breath. Melody continued to laugh as she turned her back on Josie. When Jose looked up and saw the other girl's perfect chestnut curls bouncing in their ponytail, she reached out and grabbed them in her hand. With all the force she could muster, she yanked the girl's head backwards. When she whirled back around to face Josie, she was met with a hard slap to the face. The crisp sound of palm to skin contact echoed through the silent room. Melody's shock froze her, an opportunity Josie seized to rush into the hall. Her sneakered feet carried her far down the corridor, her footfalls echoing too loudly to calm her. But when she finally stopped to catch her breath, she could hear no one following her. The salt of her tears burned her eyes as she tried to hold them back. More ragged breaths pushed from her lungs. They proved to be her undoing as she collapsed to the floor and began to sob. She pulled her knees in close to her chest, hoping to alleviate the pain of her betrayal.

"Josie?" The voice reached her ears as a whisper. "What happened?"

Her head jerked upward to look at the quarterback. "Don told her everything, Mike. All my years of deep, dark secrets just laid out for her. More ammunition. How can I face either of them now?"

Mike crouched in front of her, brushing hair from her eyes. "Melody told you this?"

"I see where you're going with this Mike. But she mentioned my dad. Only Don knew about my dad leaving in the middle of the night. He must have told her," she cried.

"She painted him as a villain I bet." Josie nodded. "Let me tell you a little secret of my own, Jos."

"Do you really think it will make me feel better?" she sighed.

He nodded. "Melody is a bitch. None of us think she's worth anything. That includes Don."

"Then why is he telling her things about me?" she inquired.

"My guess is he mentions mundane details about your past and she puts her own spin on them. He doesn't care about her like he does about you." She scoffed. "He does, Josie. But he's hurting, nursing some wounded pride. He let this go on too long. You both did. And now neither of you can just apologize."

"Do you want to be a shrink, Mike Winchell?" she asked with a smirk.

The smallest hint of a smile flickered across his lips. "I'm only sixteen Josie. I don't know what I want to be."

She put her hand on one of his padded knees. "Promise that none of them like her?"

Before Mike could respond, a voice laced with disgust tore through the moment. "What the hell am I seeing here?"

Mike stood to face Don, already attempting to diffuse the situation. "Don, I was just trying to cheer her up. Your girlfriend-"

"Forget it Mike. He doesn't give a shit about me anymore," Josie sighed, standing and brushing the back of her skirt. "I'm just gonna go."

Don's attention turned to her. "I didn't ask your opinion. I was talking to my friend."

"After a year, those are your first words to me? Screw you Don Billingsley. You think you are such a God in this school because you play football. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but you can't even hold onto the ball long enough to gain yards," she sapped, smiling when she saw his body stiffen. "Struck a nerve, did I?"

"Josie, don't do this because of Melody," Mike warned.

"No Mike, let her say what she's clearly been DYING to say to me for a year," Don challenged.

"That's not a wise choice Don," Mike sighed, knowing it wouldn't matter.

"It's fine man. There's nothing she has to say that could hurt my feelings," Don sneered. "Go ahead cheerleader."

She tried to hide the pain of him not saying her name, but she had a feeling she wasn't doing a very good job. "I had really hoped things wouldn't get this far. A large part of me wanted to find some way to get you back in my life. But here we are. You're lucky the whole team isn't here to listen to what I'm about to say."

Don folded his arms over his chest. "What are you talking about?"

"You told Melody about my father," she whispered, staring hard into his blue eyes. "I'm going to tell Mike about yours."

Panic flashed in Don's eyes. "Josie?"

"Josie," Mike warned again. "Stop. You're going to regret this tomorrow."

"Leave it, Mike. Do you want to know WHY Charlie Billingsley drinks so much?" she inquired, watching Don's face pale.

"Shut up Josie. I didn't tell anyone about your dad!" Don snapped. "I don't know how Melody found out about it!"

"Don's dad drinks because he can't stand him. Being drunk is the only way he can deal with his kid, because then he can forget what Don did," Josie stated, her upper lip curled into a sneer to hide the quivering of her lower one. "Yeah, my dad left because he was in ove his head and he didn't love us. But it's not MY fault he's gone. He left of his own accord. Don's mom on the other hand-"

She didn't get to finish. Before she could, Don's open palm connected with her face. The anger driving his blow sent so much force into it that she fell to her hands and knees. When she looked up, he winced at the tomato red welt on her cheek. All three teens were stunned silent and rendered momentarily motionless. Don moved first to help Josie to her feet. When she recoiled, he could feel another piece of his heart tear away to float dead in his chest. The sight of her cowering behind Mike's legs blurred his vision with tears. Blood pounded in his ears, so loud he couldn't hear what she said next. But the words formed on her lips were clear to him as he watched them move.

"Like father, like son."

"I'm sorry Josie," Don whispered.

"Go away Don. Please," she stated, climbing to her feet. "Please go before I saw more mean things. You told Melody about my dad. You broke my heart."

"You broke mine first," he confessed. "I meant what I said at the treehouse."

"Well a year is a long time to let love go. And that's what I did. It's over, Don. And it's probably better this way. All we've done lately is tear into each other and try to ruin us. And I'm too tired to keep it up," she said, rubbing her cheek and catching tears as they fell. "Good luck out there Donnie."

She turned on her heel and walked away from the two friends. Don turned to Mike.

"I'm sorry you had to be here for that."

"For what, Don?" Mike inquired, patting him on the back.

He visibly relaxed then, watching her walk down the hall. "Do you think she meant that? Us being over?"

"Not a chance. But the next time you two speak...be nice to each other, for God's sake!"

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